By Alshawn Rushing

The city Department of Environmental Protection announced today the opening of a new microbiology lab in Greenpoint which will help monitor and clean sewage before being sent into city rivers.

“This new microbiology lab will substantially increase our monitoring and testing capacity, giving us the vital information we need to meet and exceed treatment standards, and continue the resurgence of New York City’s waterways,” said DEP Commissioner Cas Holloway.

The lab, located at the Newton Creek water treatment plant, cost $2.3 million, and will also help monitoring Jamaica Bay.

“One of our core responsibilities is to make sure that wastewater is effectively treated, so that it has as little impact on our receiving waterways as possible,” said Holloway.

Brooklyn City Councilman Stephen Levin praised the plan. “New York City harbor has been the cleanest it’s been in 120 years, he siad.

The 53-acre facility cleans 20 percent of the city’s water, roughly 310 million gallons a day. The entire facility is going through a $5 billion upgrade, which is expected to be completed in 2014, officials said